Amy Anderson
Email: asa45448@bethel.edu
Job Title
-
Adjunct Faculty
None, Bethel Seminary
Highlight
Dr Amy Anderson has a background in student ministry, including nine years as a missionary to German college students. Seeing how God grows His people in such settings has led her to do a lot of thinking and writing in the area of ecclesiology. At the same time, her scholarly expertise is in New Testament, Koine Greek, and the study of ancient Greek manuscripts. She recently co-wrote "Textual Criticism of the Bible" with Wendy Widder (Huisken), a book that highlights her ability to take difficult subjects and make them accessible for students. After 22 years of full time teaching at North Central University, Dr Anderson will be offering courses at the Seminary on a regular basis.
Started at Bethel
2021
Education
- University of Wisconsin - River Falls - Bachelor of Science in Dairy Science, 1980
- Fuller Theological Seminary - Master of Arts in New Testament, 1996
- University of Birmingham, England - PhD in New Testament Textual Criticism, 1999
Biography
After growing up in Wisconsin, Dr. Amy studied Dairy Science at the UW-River Falls, where she also became a student leader with Chi Alpha Campus Ministries in 1976. Since then she has pastored university students and mentored leaders at UW-River Falls, the University of Munich, Germany, the University of Koeln, Germany, the University of Birmingham, England, the University of Minnesota, and Macalester College, and served many years on the Minnesota Chi Alpha Leadership Council. Dr. A lived in Germany as a campus missionary for nine years and was privileged to witness the reunification of Germany. She regularly travels to Europe to teach Bible and Bible backgrounds to student leaders and missionaries of Students For Christ.
From 1999 to 2021, Dr A taught full time at North Central University in Minneapolis, specializing in both university ministry and Bible. In recent years she was the main force behind a lively program in Ancient Greek and textual criticism, including taking students along to conferences in the US and England. Dr. Amy loves to talk to students about ancient Greek manuscripts, preparing for grad school or seminary, and university ministry.
In 2010, Dr. Amy founded The Center for Ancient Texts and Languages, a 501c3 that supports textual scholarship in the Twin Cities, and is the umbrella organization for The Biblical Literacy Project. Instructors for the BLP teach Bible at the college freshman level in churches and groups. Dr A also loves to share her home. She frequently has students over for German breakfast, British cream teas, Charlie parties, and game nights.
Courses Taught
All levels of biblical Greek, including palaeography and textual criticism
New Testament History and Literature
Reading and Interpreting Scripture
Johannine Literature
The Corinthian Correspondence
Timothy/Titus
Prison Epistles
Several ministry courses, such as Reaching Emerging Culture and Community of Worship and Prayer
Awards
2020 - Faculty of the Year at North Central University
2015-2021 - Faculty Marshal at NCU (an honorary position elected by the faculty)
1996 - Everett F. Harrison Jr. Memorial Scholarship for the outstanding student in New Testament at Fuller Seminary
Numerous financial awards in support of writing and research
Publications
Contracted to write a chapter on "New Testament Textual Criticism in Teaching and Practice" for the Oxford Handbook on Textual Criticism of the Bible, Tommy Wasserman and Sidnie White Crawford, eds.
Contracted to co-author the commentary on Timothy/Titus with Gordon Fee (expanding and updating his previous publications) for a new series of academic commentaries (with BakerAcademic), aimed at pentecostal and charismatic pastors and lay leaders, Craig Keener and Holly Beers eds.
“In Defense of the Ursprache,” written for a Festschrift, to appear with Brill in 2021.
Textual Criticism of the Bible, revised edition, co-authored with Wendy Widder, Lexham Methods Series, Douglas Mangum, ed, 2018.
“Codex 2193 and Family 1 in Mark,” Studies on the Text of the New Testament and Early Christianity, (New Testament Tools, Studies and Documents 50), Gurtner, Hernandez, & Foster, eds., Brill, 2015.
“Family 1 in Mark: Preliminary Results,” Early Readers, Scholars and Editors of the New Testament: Papers from the Eighth Birmingham Colloquium on the Textual Criticism of the New Testament (Texts and Studies 11), H.A.G. Houghton, ed., Gorgias Press, 2014.
Devotional for a Cross-Cultural Year, Designed for first time missionaries and missionary-associates in Students for Christ, Europe, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium: Students for Christ-Europe, 2011.
When You Come Together: Challenging the Church to an Interactive Relationship with God. This book is a reflection on what it means to be pentecostal and charismatic, and is written for lay people. Being Church Publishers, 2010.
The Textual Tradition of the Gospels: Family 1 in Matthew, Brill Academic, “Texts and Studies” Series, 2004.
To Love the Ancient Text, self-published manual of beginning Greek using the inductive method, now in its 8th revised edition, 2000.
Presentations
2014 “Codex 2193 and Family 1 in Mark,” SBL (NTTC Section)
2014 “Family 1 in Mark: Preliminary Results,” Birmingham Colloquium for NT Textual Criticism
2007 Response paper to “Theological Changes in the Book of Revelation” by Juan Hernandez Jr., Bethel Colloquium
2000 “The Marginalia of Codex 1582,” SBL (NTTC Section)
1999 “Codex 1582 and Family 1 of the Gospels: A Summary of Findings in Matthew,” SBL (NTTC Section)
Certificates and Licenses
1988-Present Ordained with the Assemblies of God, USA
Professional Organizations, Committees, and Boards
2005-Present International Greek New Testament Project Steering Committee (This is a team producing a major critical edition of the New Testament.)
2010-Present Editio Critica Maior Steering Committee (This committee steers the IGNTP unit at SBL.)
1995-2017 Society of Biblical Literature, Steering Committee of the New Testament Textual Criticism Section 2001-2017
2000-Present American Society of Papyrologists
1999-Present Friends of Mount Athos
Hobbies and Interests
Avid reader of detective novels – Dorothy Sayers, Louise Penny, and P.D. James are favorites
Camping and hiking – I wish for more chances to be out-of-doors
Gardening – environmentally friendly plants, heirloom tomatoes
Cooking, baking, and cross-stitching
Environmental concerns such as recycling and mass transit
Animals of all sorts – I have been owned by a series of rescue cats
Areas of expertise
New Testament Textual Criticism and Palaeography New Testament, especially Gospels and Paul (Corinthians, Prison Epistles, Timothy/Titus) Biblical Greek Exegesis Ecclesiology, especially the gathering of believers
Research interests
Ongoing study of the text of the Family 1 manuscripts in the Gospels Writing an article on using palaeography and textual criticism in the classroom Writing a commentary on Timothy/Titus
Teaching specialty
Teaching Bible and Bible backgrounds in churches and groups
Quote
Es ist alles Heilsgeschichte.